Altoona, PA - Tonight the Redhawks' (3-2) traveled to Altoona for their conference opener, to take on the Lions (1-6).
Starting for the Redhawks were Danajah Sanders (Cleveland, OH), Makayla Abram (Steubenville, OH), Shaundrea Butler (Cleveland, OH), Machia Hairston (Pittsburgh, PA), and Ayanna Mazyck (Philadelphia, PA).
For the Lions, Megan Hartman (Claysburg, PA), Sarah Huston (Coatesville, PA), Ellie Matthews (Kennett Square, PA), Emily Marines (Nanty Glo, PA), and Alexis Cannistraci (Tyrone, PA).
First Quarter
The tip is won by the Redhawks. LRU does not score on the first possession and the Lions rebound.
A turnover is caused by LRU and the Redhawks get their chance to be first on the scoreboard.
Sanders was the first to get on the board with a three-point shot (7:59).
Hairston, for the Redhawks, is next on the board with a made layup assisted by Sanders (6:15) giving La Roche an early 5-0 lead.
Down at the other end of the court Janessa Goins gets her first block of the game. The block goes out of bounds and it remains a PSA ball.
Matthews gets the Lady Lions on the board with a made three point shot (3:42), making the score 5-3, in favor of the Redhawks.
Huston steals a loose ball and takes a fast break down the court to reward herself with a made layup, tying up the game for the Lions (5-5).
Cannistraci, puts herself on the board for the first time in the quarter with a made layup, making the Lions take the lead 7-5 (2:32).
Not being satisfied with that one made basket, Cannistraci takes it in the paint and forces a foul, she goes to the line and makes both free throws (9-5).
In two possessions later Cannistraic goes in the paint again and comes back with another made layup inside the paint (11-5). She single-handedly goes 6-0 against the Redhawks.
With 15 seconds remaining, the Redhawks got another say and Sanders put up a layup of her own, and the Redhawks headed into the second quarter down by four (11-7).
Second Quarter
Abrams puts up a tip in a layup after a missed layup by Nia Thomas to open the second quarter (11-9, PSA). This places the Redhawks within two points.
Hairtson tied up the game with a made layup (9:24); 11-11 all is the score.
Hairston came down the court again with another made layup (9:00), she took back the lead for the Redhawks with 14-11.
Thomas goes to the line for the Redhawks and hits one, increasing LRU's lead to 14-11.
Penn State-Altoona calls a quick 30-second timeout directly after (8:17).
Thomas makes up for her previous turnover by hitting a jump shot (7:15), increasing the Redhawks score to 16-1.
Cannistraci hits a jumper to put the Lady Lions back within three (16-13).
Megan Hartman puts the Lions back within one with a made jump shot of her own (16-15).
Hartman takes matters into her own hands and, with a long jumpshot, takes the lead from La Roche (17-15) with 5:49 remaining in the half.
Hartman, seconds later (5:21) puts up another two points, increasing the lead for PSA (19-16).
Cannistraci comes down the court, feeling left out, and puts up a made layup of her own (21-16, PSA).
Coach Kam Gissandanner takes a 30-second timeout for La Roche (4:09).
Abram gets the Redhawks back on the board out of the timeout assisted by Hairston (21-18, PSA).
Matthews is fouled on the way up by Abram. She hits the first, but misses the second, rebounded by Hairston.
Hairston is called for the over-the-back foul and Houston shoots two. She hits the first, and misses the second; rebounded by Mazyck.
Mazyck hits a foul line jumper at the other end of the court, and puts LRU back within three (23-20).
Mazyck does it again the very next possession, decreasing the Lions lead to just one point.
Matthews for the Lions decides that isn't a large enough margin and hosts a jump shot of her own. (25-22)
Hartman is fouled in the act of shooting ,and she goes to the line for the Lions. Hartman makes both free throws (27-22).
Abram takes it up to the paint and is fouled on the way up. She makes the laup and converts to a three point play with a made foul shot. (27-25)
Abram in the very next possession for the Redhawks takes the back door cut and ties up the game 27-27 with 20 seconds remaining in the half.
Sanders fouls Hartman, sending her to the line for the Lions.
Hartman gets the shooter's roll on the first and misses the second.
Abram rebounds the shot, but turns it over to Matthews who puts up the lay up for two (30-27).
Butler at the buzzer hits a hook shot, putting the Redhawks within one at the end of the half (30-29).
Hartaman for Penn State-Altoona is the leading scorer at half with 11 points.
Abram for La Roche is the leading scorer at half with nine points and five rebounds.
Third Quarter
La Roche opens up the second half with possession of the ball. Houston steals the ball and brings it down the court but does not convert the steal to points.
Mazcyk is the first on the board for the Redhawks (31-30), taking the lead by one.
Abram is able to put in a layup off the inbound pass, and she takes back the lead for the LRU (33-30).
Unfortunately the lead doesn't last long and Houston puts up a lay up for two, La Roche only up by one (33-32).
Hairston goes up for two and connects with the layup. She's fouled on the way up and sinks the free throw making a three point play (36-32).
Hartman goes up for a two point field goal and she connects, bringing the Lion back within two.
Cannistraci gets a two point play opportunity of her own after getting fouled on the way up. She misses the first,but makes the second (36-35) the Lions within one point.
Abrams goes up and comes back down with her own rebound, only to come up again and this time put it in, she increases the lead for La Roche by three (38-35).
Cannistraci had a good shot of her own, and the score became 38-37; PSA down by one.
Hartman took the lead back, with a made layup; Lions up by one.
Nia Thomas hits a three point basket taking back the lead; 41-39 in favor of LRU.
Hartman gives a hard bounce pass to Huston underneath the hoop, and she goes up for two, tying the game, 41-41 all.
Thomas answers with a steal of her own. She passes it up the floor to Butler who hits a two point jump shot. Redhawks once again up by two.
Full timeout called by Penn State-Altoona at 33:39 (43-41, LRU).
Off an offensive rebound, Matthrews hits a three point shot, assisted by Huston (44-42, PSA).
Marines hit a three point shot, giving the Lions a two three point lead (46-43).
Houston wide open under the basket, after two Redhawks collapsed on Matthews, puts up an easy layup (48-43, PSA).
Cannistraci is fouled by Goins on the way up and she goes to the line for two. She hits the both (50-43), a seven point lead for Penn State-Altoona.
Hartman puts up the last points of the quarter with a field goal, extending the Lion's lead to nine points (52-43).
Fourth Quarter
Butler opens the scoring with a two point lay up (52-45, PSA).
A technical foul was called on Shaundrea Butler after she fell for the faked pass on an inbound and touched the ball.
Coach Adams choses Houston to shoot the free points and she takes advantage and sinks both (54-45), now a ten point lead for the Lions.
Alexis Robinson, for the Redhawks enters the game, and hits a three point shot (54-48, PSA).
Cannistraci goes one on one with Hairston and she gets the layup on the board (56-48).
Sanders hits a three getting herself back on the board, putting the Redhawks within five points (56-51, PSA).
A full timeout is called by the Lions, with 7:33 remaining in the game.
Cannistraci goes in for a hook shot, and connects (58-51, PSA).
Robinson fired a three point shot at the top of the ark, and it fell her way, putting the Redhawks within four, (58-54).
Robison comes down the court seconds later and hits for three points again, assisted by Butler; the Redhawks become within one (58-57).
Cannistraci answers with a three of her own (61-57), 5:00 remaining in the final period.
Abram hits a two point jump shot, assisted by Butler (61-59, PSA).
Hairston puts up the layup off the inbound pass, tying up the game 61-61, she is also assisted by Butler.
Hairston scores again, this time near the block to give La Roche a two point lead (63-61).
Abram puts in a layup to give LRU a four point lead (65-61), with 2:46 remaining in the period.
La Roche takes the lead as an opportunity to call a full timeout and create a game plan.
Cannistraci goes up in the paint, makes the basket, and is fouled on the way up. She converts to a three point play with a made layup (65-64, LRU). Penn State-Altoona within one.
Hairston goes to the line after being fouled on the other end by Cannistraci. Hairston misses the first, but makes the second (66-64).
Butler fouls Cannistraci from behind and Cannistraci goes to the line. She makes both, tying the game 66-66; 35 seconds remaining in the half.
The Lions call a timeout.
After a possession for each team and still tied, La Roche calls a timeout of their own, six seconds remaining in the game.
Butler shoots a fadeaway jumper that rolls in and out, but ultimately rolls out. This match-up was headed to overtime.
Overtime
To start, the overtime period is five minutes. If a team has the lead when the five minutes runs out, that team wins. If the teams are still tied, another five minute period is played.
Both teams go to the middle to jump for the ball again; Hairston and Cannistraci competing for possession. Hairston wins the possession for La Roche.
However it is Matthews who opens up the scoring for the overtime period with a three point shot.
Butler makes the layup to put the Redhawks on the board in OT, and back within one (69-68).
Sanders follows suit and connects with a layup of her own, giving the Redhawks a one point lead (70-69).
Hairston gives a pump fake to Cannistraci and she is able to put in a floater at the foul line (72-69, LRU).
Cannistraci, fouled in the act of shooting, goes to the line; misses the first, but makes the second. The Lions are back within two (72-70).
Abram makes the in traffic layup, assisted by Butler, with one minute remaining in overtime (74-70).
Matthews put up the final two points for the Lions, a layup (74-72).
With 29 seconds remaining in the overtime period, Penn State-Altoona calls their final timeout of the game, the score 74-72, La Roche up by two.
Hairston gets her own rebound and puts it up for two points; 76-72 Redhawks.
Hairston is fouled and she'll go to the line for two. She misses the first, but connects on the second (77-72).
Hairston is fouled on the rebound attempt, she heads to the other end of the court to shoot two. She goes 1-2 (78-72).
After a missed shot, the Lions foul Sanders, sending her to the line. Sanders hits one out of her two shots (79-72).
Abram is fouled on the rebound, she heads to the line, and she hits both of her free throws (81-72, LRU).
The Redhawks walk away with an overtime victory, and their first conference win of the season. La Roche outscored Penn State-Altoona 15-6 in the overtime period.
Final Thoughts
The leading score for the Lions was Alexis Cannistraci with 28 points, nine rebounds, six assists, four blocks and two steals.
Megan Hartman was the next leading scorer for the Lions with 17 points. Hartman also contributed two rebounds, one assist, and one steal.
Ellie Matthews had a double-double for the PSA with 14 points, and 13 rebounds. She also added three blocks, two steals, and one assist.
La Roche's leading scorer was Makayla Abram. Abram had 21 points tonight, along with nine rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block.
One point behind her was Machia Hairston with 20 points. She also had a double-double, her first of the season with 13 rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Danajah Sanders was also in double digits in points with 11. Sanders also contributed five rebounds, and three steals.
What's Next
The Redhawks travel to Carnegie Mellon tomorrow night (December 2, 2021) at 6:00 PM.